House Salad
You can have the classic house salad you love at your favorite steakhouse right at home! Does it ever feel like your salads at home never taste quite like those restaurant side salads? This recipe will give you those tastes and textures you crave.
What is house salad
A house salad is a plain, commonly found salad often served as an appetizer or side dish in restaurants.
There is no exact recipe for house salads, but it does typically have the same ingredients across most steakhouses.
This is a basic salad recipe you can keep in your pocket. It’s great for a quick side dish or top it with some protein for a full meal.
Why you will come back to this houses salad recipe
This straightforward, plain side salad is well-balanced alongside any meal. It even pairs well with Italian recipes and Mexican recipes.
Not only is it straightforward and quick to make, but you can completely customize it to your preferences.
House Salad Ingredients
These house salad ingredients will give you the closest to a side steakhouse salad. But you can always adjust them to your personal preference.
- Fresh romaine lettuce – we recommend stick with romaine or iceberg to give you a house salad like your favorite restaurant. It will also give you a house favorite crunch. This is usually what is used in restaurants.
- Tomatoes – we like using cherry tomatoes, but you can also use grape tomatoes or chopped beefsteak tomatoes
- Cucumber – we always use an English cucumber for the taste, texture, lack of seeds, and edible skin. You can also use a standard American cucumber, but we would recommend peeling off the waxy skin and removing the seeds.
- Red onion – red onion is the go-to for a classic house salad. Soak the onion in ice water for a few minutes to reduce the strong flavor.
- Cheddar cheese – cheddar cheese is the classic choice for restaurants. We like to use sharp cheddar, but you can use whatever cheese you like.
- Croutons – croutons will give you that great crunch! We like to opt for the garlic or parmesan flavors at the grocery store.
- Dressing – you can use whatever dressing you like, but From-scratch ranch Is our go to!
How to make the basic house salad
Once you have the right ingredients, it’s plain to make this salad. It’s all about the assembly!
- Divide the ingredients between 4 individual salad bowls.
- Top them with your favorite dressing.
- Serve and enjoy with your favorite dish!
- You can make this salad in a large bowl. Let each person scoop out their portion with the main dish.
- You can also make this salad ahead of time. Keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve it. Pop it in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Tools and Equipment to make a plain salad
Knife set
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Tongs
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Salad bowl
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Salad spinner
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Add some crunch to a steakhouse salad
The variety of textures combined with a flavorful dressing are what give you a house favorite results.
Next time, try adding some extra crunch! You can add more croutons, tortilla strips, nuts, or even crispy onions.
You can also get some crunch from fresh vegetables like chopped bell pepper.
Salad Dressing
The dressing does make a difference when it comes to tasting like a restaurant style house salad. Most bottled dressings don’t measure up to the taste. The dressing can take it from a good salad to a great salad.
You have a lot of great options for a quick and straightforward from-scratch dressing.
- From-scratch Buttermilk Ranch with Fresh Herbs
- Copycat Wingstop Ranch
- From-scratch Balsamic Vinaigrette (a combination of extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil)
- From-scratch Blue Cheese Dressing (funky blue cheese tangy dressing you’ll often find on a steakhouse wedge salad)
You could also pulse together some hummus, dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice in a food processor for a quick dressing.
Variations and alterations
You can replace any of the ingredients with your favorites. As written, it’s as close to a restaurant style house salad you can get. But feel free to customize it however you like!
Some options include:
- Hearts of palm
- Green olives
- Goat cheese
- Sunflower seeds
- Artichoke hearts
- Fresh mushrooms
- Hard-cooked eggs
- Cracked black pepper
- Green onions
- Crumbled bacon
Tips and tricks
We like using chopped romaine to get that authentic house salad crunch and flavor from a restaurant. You could also use a combination of iceberg lettuce and romaine.
Be sure to slice the red onion thin so you don’t end up having too strong of an onion flavor. You can also soak the slices in ice water beforehand to remove some of that bite.
FAQs
House salad vs Caeser salad
There are several differences between these two popular salads.
Dressing: A house salad normally has a few options for dressings. They are typically ranch, honey mustard, blue cheese, or a vinaigrette. Caesar salads are known for their distinct garlic, anchovy based Caeser dressing.
Greens: House salads typically have a garden mix, romaine, or iceberg lettuce mix while Caeser salads always have romaine lettuce.
Toppings: House salads often have tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, and cheese. Caeser salads are often more limited to croutons and Parmesan cheese.
Protein: A house salad can include protein like grilled chicken, eggs, and bacon bits. Caeser salads usually stick to grilled chicken or shrimp.
Prep 10 minutesTotal 10 minutesMakes 4 people
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1 whole english cucumber sliced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup croutons
- Dressing of choice I recommend Ranch
Method
- Divide the ingredients between 4 individual salad bowls.
- Top with your favorite dressing.
- Serve and enjoy with your favorite dish!
Notes
- We like using chopped romaine to get that authentic house salad crunch and flavor from a restaurant.
- Be sure to slice the red onion thin so you don’t end up having too strong of an onion flavor.
- The dressing does make the difference when it comes to tasting like a restaurant style house salad. Most bottled dressings don’t measure up to the taste.
